The Trail of a Sourdough / Life in Alaska

e-aged woman, wearing glasses, knitted a gray

ied his best to do. He staked some gold claims and a town lot, and put up a one-room cabin, building on to the latter after we arrived. His idea was to get his father and me

wn her knitting and pushed her glasses up to the top of her head. The

e would much rather I did not often relate. However, as you wish to hear it, and he is too busy at his

other good things for Christmas. My son had met us with open arms and shown us with much pleasure to his tiny cabin on a nearby

our mining tools, gold pan, picks and shovels, as well as rubber boots

there were dozens of new blue and brown denim jumpers and overalls, bandana handkerchief

ct of our coming, we rushed the adjustment of affairs in our camp through with all speed, and two days a

icking up her knitting to inspect it for a

in order to bring her back to her narrative,

his fresh

for us near the west end of town, close to the cemetery, on the tundra. It was only a short walk for us, he said, and the groun

th of three feet was reached; that nuggets worth as much as twenty dollars were foun

and we trudged down the road on the sandspit to the cemetery. Dressed in his fresh miner's rig, (that was an accidental pun) taken so lately from our big packing boxes, Pa ma

he adjoining room where her husband was writing. Then opening a table drawer

ures or he would burn them as sure as fat

, short dress, huge basket on right arm. The man beside her holding his broad brimmed miner's hat in his hand

cted on both faces. Their clothing was soiled and their implemen

ned, returning the photos to their places, "and Le

intention of sallying out upon the tundra), and finally arrived at the cemetery. We spent little time in looking at the few rude head-boards and scattered mounds of those quiet sleepers by the sea, but bestowed more at

finally found the corner stakes, and the St. Charles cream can in w

ich I did, after seating myself on a big hummoc

ed, and hereby claim for placer-mining purposes twenty acres on the tundra west of Nome and 100 feet north of the cemetery.' Then foll

ke under the old cream can, just as we found it, we lunched heartily on ham sandwiches, doughnut

burn? Was it wet? And how large an extent of country, or rather territory, did it cover. These were only a few of the

w impa

say that it covers the whole of this gold claim and a good deal more besides, for I can see as far as the hills yonder without

soon investigate if you see fit to do so', I continued as Pa still stood

nd I am too old to begin to study it now. I believe, however, that I can tell a gold nugget when I see it, and if you will bestir yourself and turn up a few, I

the teeth out of his head. This was kept up for fully ten minutes, while I rummaged around among the hummocks for the lovely many colored mosses,

Ma

es,

r feet square instead of

, sarcastically, for I had a consuming anxiety to get down to those n

r the day before, and had deci

estily, and then rested again upon the shovel handle. His face was f

brought the a

at f

beastly vines a

all I go home

h it you would have to go right back to get supper. It is

you?' He had scarcely made an impression on th

et of moss, vines and leaves, trying to get the hole four feet

cluster of bunch grass hummocks, wishing to fill the gold pan with dirt f

eemed to be affected differently. I could hear him grumbling to himself, and tha

of yourself? To think of your swearing like th

wo

mbers and had been for many years, and I was inexpressibl

rrison! Whose doing this

ould,' trying to speak quietly and coming close enough to ta

re

, Pa, that made the s

lack muck almost to his knees, with the same material bespattered over him from head to foot. Indeed his red

e shouted excitedly, forgetting his English and everything but that we had encountered an astonishingly

ck and ice!' and another mouthful of big, strong words gur

four foot hole, 'you may be heard by some one who will report you to the church tr

o baby! I know what I'm doing, and I know what I want

my ears to shut out such langua

this water like the blooming old idiots we are, to dig in a muckhole full of ice? Did we tell our banker that he should have the very first go

ply he insisted,

n't,' I admitted, 'but wai

talking now?' he r

exasperating words o

position. Many have failed at mining it, but to those who go to work at it in the right way, at

seen before. For miles on three sides of us it spread itself like a carpet of green, dotted often with tiny pools of clear water, shining like glass in the June sunshine. Miles away

broad and beautiful bosom we had so lately sailed, and whose gently sweeping

id not know, lying between us and the much desired golden nuggets. The ground lay level and open to the sun, with nothing to prevent its thawing except this peculiar blanket of tundra m

. Better let it all go forever. Probably Pa was right about our being foolish to come here. We could go home again as ma

of the ground or mining? Then, too, our son probably had his own plans for us which must be m

esides. They must surely be ver

ce by myself in order to let Pa's temper cool, and

y above the objectionable ice, and though I found its weight almost more than I could carry, and Pa did not

would see presently. I had watched men panning on the beach tha

was breathing heavily and felt very warm. I put the pan down and flung off my sun-bonnet, pulling my sleeves a notch higher before continuing. Again the rotary movement with various dips of t

covered with perspiration. Suddenly the soft earth under my right foot gave w

teeth resolutely together, wringing out the edges of my

e its contents were lost, my hands and clothes were muddi

t and a second trial was made, with success

picking out pebbles, washing off sand, and r

s gold in

appeared in the bottom of the gold pan to gladden my longing eyes, and I hastened to sho

gust, as I exhibited the resul

y, y

no nug

nug

ck he had been using in

home', he

cabin and tent on Front Street, but rather than run the risk of exploding another bomb of wrath

d our clothing as best we could; but the frow

eight o'clock supper with the sun still shining very brightly upon the te

the tundra, Leroy laughed heartily. Then seeing the aggrieved look on his father's face, and, I suppo

e to help me keep house, to mend my clothes, to bake bread and fry griddle cakes, and do the many little thin

r Mother; and neither of you need feel that you are useless nor idle. Part of these gold claims are yours, and in your own names, and you can both make short 'mushing' trips of inspection over the country when you like; though the new railroad up Anvil will be finished in a few weeks, and then you can ride. Under no consider

ry. Father said he would try it a year, and then see about staying longer,

ke it here?

r ground is turning out finel

Pa could never be induced to step his foot upon it again,

t the four foot hole, with its icy foundations, is nowhere t